I got a nice surprise recently. I wasn't expecting the hazel trees in the garden to produce nuts this year as they are still pretty small. They are putting on plenty of growth though now, even the Red Filbert which was slow to get going last year. I have three hazel trees in the garden that I chose for their nuts - a Nottingham cobnut, a Kentish cob and a Red Filbert. I've also got an ornamental corkscrew hazel (Corylus avellana 'Contorta') that I wasn't expecting to produce any nuts, but I was hoping would help pollinate the others. But, whilst looking under the leaves recently I spotted a whole load of nuts developing.

Corkscrew hazel (Corylus avellana Contorta)

The Nottingham cobnut and Red Filbert also have some nuts too. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed the squirrels don't find them before they ripen.

The short answer is I don't know. I couldn't find anything in any of the books I have or on the internet. The corkscrew hazel I have is growing in a small bed about 1m by 2m and about 1m deep.

I guess they should grow and crop in pots. They like well drained conditions I think and they would probably do better with some soil-based growing medium that isn't too rich. It might also be worth adding some garden soil from a wooded area as they benefit from mycorrhizal fungi, or use one of those fungal innoculants.

I think you would have to prune them to stop them getting too big, but you would probably do that anyway if planted out to keep them to about 2m high. That way they are easier to reach to prune and harvest.

It might be easier to keep squirrels away too if the plants are in pots.

Let me know how they get on if you give it a try.

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A blog following the development of a small edible forest garden in Salisbury, Wiltshire, first planted in winter 2008.